# Imperial

-Mexicali Regional Air Quality: Approaches to Pollution Reduction

**Brad Poiriez Air Pollution Control Officer** 

**ICAPCD June 18, 2008** 

## IMPERIAL COUNTY AND MEXICALI

 

### Imperial County  172,000+ Habitants  Seven Incorporated Cities  Agricultural Major Economic Activity  Border at South with Mexicali  

### Mexicali  1+ Million Habitants  Capital of State of Baja California  Agricultural, Industry, Commerce and Services are the Major Economic Activities.

# Presentation **Outline**

 SIP Planning Air Quality Issues  

### 24

- Hour PM10 SIP  

### 8

- Hour Ozone SIP 

#  Grant Programs 

#  New Rules Development 

#  Imperial/Mexicali Air Quality Issues 

#  Imperial County and Mexicali Border Information

# SIP Planning

 

### EPA sets Health based standards for Ozone and PM10 that include a margin of safety for people in sensitive groups.  

### 8

- Hour Ozone Standard is 0.08 ppm  

### 24

- Hour PM10 Standard is 150 μg/m3  Our obligation under federal law is to meet these health

- based standards and to ensure that the state air quality meets the NAAQS established by EPA.

# Imperial County **SIP**

**4 Cl** **ean Ai** **r**

**Ai r**  **Qu al** **ity M**  **oni to**  **ri ng**  **Em is**  **sio n**  **In vent**  **or y**  **Mo de**  **lin g/**  **Tr ans**  **port SI**  **P Co**  **ntrol As**  **sessm ent**  

### Wh **at is**  **t he**  **SI P?** 

# Air Quality Planning
 

## Federal and State Clean Air Acts require planning to meet health

- based air quality standards.

 

## Plans provide long

- range vision and guidance for air quality programs.

# 24 **- HOUR PM10 SIP** 
 

## On August 11, 2004, EPA reclassified Imperial County from “Moderate” to “Serious” non

attainment area for 24

- hour PM10 NAAQS.  

### Imperial County is required to develop a PM10 Attainment Plan that provides attainment and at least five percent reduction in PM10 or PM10 precursors until attainment.  

### PM10 Attainment Plan is required to be developed by December 9, 2008

## Imperial County PM10 Attainment Plan


#  Imperial County will develop a PM10 Attainment Plan Addressing:  

### Impact of PM10 Transport from Mexico  

### Impact of PM10 Generated by Natural Events (High Winds and Wildfire)  

### Impact of Local Sources

# PM10 Violations
 

## Imperial County will develop PM10 SIP based on 2005

- 2007 PM10 data.  

## Preliminary Evaluation Indicates:  

### 2005 (2): 1 local, 1 Transport  

### 2006 (4): 1 NE, 1 local, and 2 Transport  

### 2007 (2): 2 NE

## Impact of PM10 Transport from Mexico
 

## Impact of PM10 transport from Mexicali will be demonstrated in SIP through meteorological and modeling evaluation.

# Impact **of Natural Events**

 

### Imperial County APCD developed a Natural Events Action Plan (NEAP)  

### The NEAP was adopted by our board of Directors on August 9 th 

### , 2005.  

### Through the NEAP, Imperial County is documenting PM10 data affected by: Wildland fires and High wind.  

### Documented PM10 data will be flagged on AIRS database.  

### Flagged data will be excluded from determination of NAAQA compliance.

# Impact **of Local Sources**
 

## Clean Air Act requires that “Serious” PM10 Non

- attainment areas shall:  

### Implement Best Available Control Measure (BACM) for area sources which include: Construction activities, paved and unpaved roads, etc.  

## Imperial County decided to take a proactive position by adopting Regulation VIII, Fugitive Dust Rules, On November 8, 2005.

# Regulation **VIII Rules**

 

### Imperial County updated Regulation VIII, Fugitive Dust Control Rules, require BACM for area sources.  

### Regulation VIII includes:  Rule 800, General Requirements  Rule 801, Construction and Earthmoving Activities.  Rule 802, Bulk Materials.  Rule 803, Carry

- Out and Track

- out  Rule 804, Open Areas  Rule 805, Paved and Unpaved Roads  Rule 806, Conservation Management Practices

## Imperial County 8 **- Hour Ozone SIP** 
 **On April 30, 2004, Imperial County was designated as a “Marginal” non** **- attainment area for Ozone under federal**  **CAA.**  EPA found that the Imperial County failed to meet attainment by June 15, 2007 for the 8

- Hour Ozone NAAQS, and was reclassified as Moderate non

- attainment.  The Imperial County is required to develop an 8

– Hour Attainment Plan. The Federal Clean Air Act requires states to submit a State Implementation Plan (SIP) revisions for the 8

– Hour ozone standard by December 31, 2008.  Moderate Areas are required to attain the standard “as expeditiously as practicable,” but no later than 6 years after designation or June 15, 2010.

# Ozone Standard:
 

## Based on a rolling three year average:  Uses Fourth highest 8

– Hour value for each ozone season.  An area’s design value is based on the area monitor with the highest 3 year design value.  To keep attainment the three year design value must be lower than 0.084 ppm

# 8 **- Hour Ozone Violations** 
 

## Imperial County was determined non

- attainment based on 2004

- 2006 Ozone data  

## Preliminary Evaluation Indicates:  

### Impact by Transport from South Coast  

### Impact by Transport from Mexico  

### Local Contribution

# PM10 and Ozone SIPs **Committee Working Group**   

### ICAPCD developed a SIP Committee Working Group to help with:  Community Involvement  Comments  Opinions  Ideas  In general their support!  

### SIP Committee Working Group meets every last Wednesday of the every month.

# Grant Programs

 

### Goods Movement Emission Reduction Program  

### Carl Moyer Grant Program  

### Lower

- Emission School Bus Program  

### Border 2012  Unpaved Parking Lots  Diesel Truck Retrofits Project

## Goods Movement **Emission Reduction Program**   

### Proposition **1B**  Program provides $3.748 Million plus in the fall for emission reduction projects related to goods movement.  Benefits diesel trucks and freights.  Replaces old heavy trucks with new trucks.  Retrofit

– install particulate matter filters.  Projects must achieve surplus emission reductions

# Carl Moyer Grant Program

 

### Carl Moyer Grant Program has $400,000 in grant funds.  

### The purpose of the Carl Moyer program is to reduce air pollution emissions by providing grants for the incremental cost of cleaner vehicles and equipment.  

### Carl Moyer grant applies to:  Stationary Diesel Agricultural Engines 25

- 750 horsepower (uncontrolled & tier I/II engines).  Off

- Road Agricultural Equipment (tractors).  Off

- Road Equipment in Small/Med Fleets (certain conditions may apply).

## Lower**- Emission School Bus Program** 

 

### $2.6 Million in Grant funds are available for the Imperial County.  

### The Program provides grant funds to purchase new school buses to replace older higher emitting buses in public schools and to  

### Retrofit in

- use diesel school buses to reduce PM emissions.

# Border **2012 -**  **Unpaved Parking Lots**
 

### EPA granted $60,000 for the Unpaved Parking Lots project.
 

### PM10 emissions from Unpaved Parking Lots and Staging Areas in Southern Imperial County.  Goal is to identify these areas, evaluate and quantify emissions, inform owners to comply  27 locations identified  Aerial and Ground photos taken  Physical info. collected (mailing, assessors #, what control measure, if any, being used)  Data quantification surveys sent out

## Border 2012 **- Diesel Truck Retrofits Project** 
 

### EPA granted $100,000 for the Diesel Truck Retrofit project.  

### Diesel Truck Retrofits (drayage trucks)  Goal was to retrofit 25 heavy duty diesel trucks operating in Mexicali/Imperial Valley with diesel oxidation catalysts and crankcase filtration systems.  Presentation given to CANACAR (national chamber of heavy duty trucking)  Contract for purchase and installation of retrofit technology has been signed and approved (Ironman).  

### 12 Diesel Truck Retrofits have been completed.

# New Rules Development

 

### ATCM  Agricultural Engines Registration Program  School Bus Idling  

### Emission Reduction Credits

 

### Rule 310 **- Operation Development Fee** 

## Agricultural Engines Registration Program
 

### The purpose of the ATCM is to phase out older, higher

- polluting diesel engines and replace them with cleaner

- burning equipment  

### Diesel Engines 50 horsepower or greater, to comply with CARB’s PM control measure. Owner/Operators are required to register Stationary and Portable Diesel Agricultural Engines

# ATCM **- School Bus**  **Idling**

 

### Airborne toxic control measure (ATCM) that limits school bus idling and idling at or near schools to only when necessary for safety or operational concerns.  

### A driver of a school bus or vehicle, transit bus, or other commercial motor vehicle to manually turn off the bus or vehicle engine upon arriving at a school and to restart no more than 30 seconds before departing.  

### Applies to school buses, transit buses, school pupil activity buses, youth buses, general public vehicles, and other commercial motor vehicles.

# Emission Reduction **Credit**

 

### An ERC is a credit earned by a company when it reduces air emissions beyond what is required by permits and rules.  

### Companies earn ERCs when they reduce emissions of ROC, NOx, PM (including PM10), CO or SOx beyond what is required by APCD permits and rules.  

### ERCs have a market value. They can be bought and sold between companies. Companies can also use ERCs to reduce costs involved in an expansion

—or just to protect a variety of expansion options for the future

# Operation Development **Fee**

 

### Rule 310  

### Provides the Air District with a method of mitigating the emissions produced from the operation of commercial and residential development projects.  

### Progress towards achieving  

### Will help the ICAPCD reach attainment as prescribed by the legislature by the earliest practicable date.

# Imperial/Mexicali Air Quality Issues

 **New LNG pipeline expansion (Sempra Energy’s Energia**  **Costa Azul) near Rosarito**  Nearly triple capacity to 2.7 billion cubic/feet per day with a send out capacity of 1.0 billion cubic/feet per day.  Reverse flow into U.S.(bi

- directional) will require two new compressor stations south of Imperial County border. This is comparable to two additional power plants.  Construction/Operational emissions, safety concerns.  “Hot Gas” issue

– higher Wobbe (heat) Index = higher NOx  Impacts on control technology in industrial sources not determined, emissions from unregulated units (water heaters, stoves, etc.)  On Oct. 3, 2007 FERC awarded NBP, LLC certificates and permit authorizing construction and operation of facilities to import NG.

# Imperial/Mexicali Air Quality Issues

 

### All**- American Canal Lining Project**   Line approx. 24 miles of canal \ Massive amounts of material to be moved  Dust Control Plans for PM (2 to 3 year project)  Use of CARB PERP program/need for APCD permits  3 lawsuits were finished authorizing IID to continue the work.  Will save 70,000 acre/feet water per year – will be shipped to San Diego as part of the QSA.

# Imperial/Mexicali Air Quality Issues

 

### Green Path / Sunrise Power **link proposed transmission lines**   Increase capacity, reliability  Tap renewable energy from I.C.

– meet portfolio requirements.  Several Enviro concerns

– ranging from land use sitting, air quality, necessity, control  Potential link to San Felipe Substation  

### Provide additional transmission capacity  

### Potential for additional power facilities in Mexico

# Imperial/Mexicali Air Quality Issues

 

### Air Emissions associated with the Colorado River Water Transfer/Salton Sea exposed shoreline  

### Existing and New Electric Power Generating Projects in Mexicali  Limited controls  Use of water/reduction of flow in New River  New transmission line corridors and modifications  Proposed new LNG pipeline

# Cross Border **Emission Reduction**  **Credits Challenges**  

### Recognize Imperial County/Mexicali as one Air Shed.  

### NOx, CO, and PM10 emissions produced in Mexicali are transported to Imperial County and vice versa.  

### Clean Air Act requires change  

### Continue to work on this issue with Imperial/Mexicali Air Quality Task Force and with political representatives (CEC currently evaluating feasibility).

# Cross Border **Emission Reduction**  **Credits Challenges**  

### Identifying the primary source or emissions.  

### Characterizing pollutants and their effects on the health of the environment.  

### Regions socioeconomic and historic conditions.
 

### Make changes  

### Permanent  

### Enforceable  

### Quantifiable  

### Surplus

# Imperial County **Ports of Entry**

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### U.S. Border Crossings in 2006

# Imperial County Border **Wait Times**
 

## Average wait time at border lines  Over the past six years

– since the terrorist attacks of 9/11

– the wait time at the border has doubled. Before 9/11, the average wait at the evening peak hour was 26 minutes, and even that was cause for “regional concern,” according to a Department of Commerce study at the time. Now, the typical rush

- hour wait is about 55 minutes or longer.  

## Air Quality Effects  due mostly to the presence of carbon monoxide and suspended particles which transport to the U.S.  increasing transcontinental transport of air pollutants

# Impacts of the New River

 New River has been regarded as the most polluted river in the U.S.  The source of the pollution is the refuse and waste from manufacturing plants operating in Mexico; agricultural chemical runoff from the area’s farm industry; and human waste form the ever- expanding population in Mexicali.  Impacts are seen throughout the City of Calexico which have direct exposure to the New River.  New River pollution clean

- up would involve complex international negotiations.

# Cooperative **Efforts**

 

### Imperial /Mexicali Air Quality Task Force was created under the U.S.

– Mexico Border 2012 to assist in the implementation of bi

- national environmental projects.  

### Imperial County Air Pollution District works in conjunction with Mexicali stakeholders towards:  Border Ozone Reduction  Air Quality Improvement  Data collection  Projects that reduce air pollution, promote outreach and public involvement in air quality issues.

# Contact Information

**BRAD POIRIEZ APCO**  **IMPERIAL COUNTY APCD 150 S. 9** **TH ST. EL CENTRO, CA. 92243** 

**(760) 482 -**  **4606 bradpoiriez@imperialcounty.net**